This is the first book in the League of Literary Ladies series by Kylie Logan which takes place on South Bass, an island in Lake Erie. I’d been wanting to start this series for a long time so when it was chosen for an online book club, I was happy to dive into it. The book discussion never happened since the club was discontinued but I wanted to read it anyway and I’m so glad I did!
My Goodreads review:
Mayhem at the Orient Express by Kylie Logan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was an awesome start to a series I’ve been wanting to read for quite awhile. Who knew that three unlikely women could actually become friends? I really loved how reading was what brought them together, even though one of them started out by watching the DVD of the book. It was fun how parts of the mystery paralleled the Agatha Christie book “Murder on the Orient Express the ladies were reading.
Bea Cartwright, owner of a B&B on South Bass island in Lake Erie has just about had it with two of her neighbors. They all have mutual complaints and since they can’t get along, the court magistrate sentences them to one year of book discussions which he hopes will force them to get along. Toss in a murder investigation and the three women along with one woman, Luella, who actually wanted to be in the library’s book club, learn how to work together in a peaceful way to uncover a murder plot and the perp. There was no shortage of suspects and clues as well as some laughs along the way.
I really enjoyed the different characters in the book and thought it was cool how their life after the murder mirrored the book the group was reading. The murder happened in town but since a snowstorm started, no one had left the island. That told them that there may just be a murderer in the B&B since it’s been the safe haven from the storm since there’s a generator for power.
It’s interesting that Bea had a secret past as well, some of which she looked back at and explained. Bartender Levi had figured out part of it and I’m hoping that in future books we get to hear a little more about Bea’s past and that maybe she and Levi will become friends. I loved how the characters changed as the mystery went on. They learned to care about each other and of course due to the snowstorm, everyone had to come together and make the best of the situation.
This was a fun, well-written book and I am definitely going to continue reading this series.
Cuddle Up With a Cozy Mystery 